Julio Teherán facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Teherán (teh-eh-rahn') and the second or maternal family name is Pinto.

Quick facts for kids

Julio Teherán

Teherán with the Atlanta Braves

Free agent

Pitcher

Born: January 27, 1991 (age 34)
Cartagena, Colombia

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

debut

May 7, 2011, for the Atlanta Braves

MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)

Win–loss record

81–82

Earned run average

3.85

Strikeouts

1,260

Teams

Career highlights and awards

2× All-Star (2014, 2016)

Julio Alberto Teherán Pinto is a professional baseball pitcher from Cartagena, Colombia. He was born on January 27, 1991. Julio has played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), including the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Mets. He joined the Atlanta Braves in 2007 and made his MLB debut in 2011. Julio was chosen as an MLB All-Star twice, in 2014 and 2016, which is a big honor in baseball!

Julio's Baseball Journey

Starting with the Atlanta Braves

Playing in the Minor Leagues

Julio Teherán signed with the Atlanta Braves on July 3, 2007. He began his professional career in 2008, pitching for the Danville Braves. In his first season, he started six games.

In 2009, he played for the Danville and Rome Braves. He had 67 strikeouts in 81 innings. Before the 2010 season, Baseball America magazine said he was the Braves' third-best young player.

Julio continued to play in the minor leagues in 2010. He pitched for the Rome Braves, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and Mississippi Braves. He finished that season with a good record of 9 wins and 8 losses. He also had a 2.59 ERA and 159 strikeouts.

By 2011, Teherán was ranked as the top young player in the Atlanta Braves system. He started the year with the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves. He had a great start, winning 3 games without any losses. He was even chosen to be a starting pitcher for the World team in the 2011 All-Star Futures Game.

Making His MLB Debut in 2011

Julio Teherán made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on May 7, 2011, against the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched for ⁴⁄₂ innings in that game. After this, he was sent back to Triple-A. He was called up again on May 18 for another game.

He finished the 2011 minor league season with an impressive 15 wins and 3 losses. Teherán rejoined the Atlanta Braves in September. He earned his first major league win against the New York Mets on September 8. Baseball America also named him to their 2011 Minor League All-Star team.

Challenges in 2012

In 2012, Teherán was still considered a top young player. He was invited to spring training to try for a spot on the Braves' main team. However, he had a tough time, giving up many hits and runs. He also struggled to throw strikes consistently. Because of this, he was sent back to Gwinnett. He continued to have some struggles there, finishing with a 7–9 record.

Breakout Season in 2013

Expectations for Julio were a bit lower in 2013. But he showed great improvement during spring training. He started the regular season with some difficulties. However, 2013 turned out to be his best year yet! He finished the season with 14 wins and 8 losses. He also had a 3.20 ERA and 170 strikeouts. On June 5, Teherán almost pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched ⁷⁄₂ innings without giving up a hit before someone finally got a single.

Becoming an All-Star in 2014

On February 14, 2014, Teherán signed a big contract extension with the Braves. He was chosen as the Braves' Opening Day starter for the first time in his career. This means he pitched the very first game of the season.

Teherán was selected for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, which was his first time being an All-Star! He became the second player from Colombia to be an All-Star, following Édgar Rentería. In 33 games that season, Julio had 14 wins and 13 losses. He also had a great 2.89 ERA and 186 strikeouts.

2015 and 2016 Seasons

In 2015, Teherán was again the Braves' Opening Day starting pitcher. He won the game against the Miami Marlins. He finished the season with 11 wins and 8 losses.

For the third year in a row, Teherán started the Braves' season in 2016. On May 24, he had a career-high 12 strikeouts in one game. He was named to his second All-Star Game after having a 2.72 ERA. He finished the season with 7 wins and 10 losses.

Playing at SunTrust Park in 2017

In 2017, Teherán was the Braves' Opening Day starting pitcher for the fourth year in a row. He pitched six innings without giving up any runs against the New York Mets. He joined other famous Braves pitchers who started four straight season openers.

On April 14, Teherán was the starting pitcher for the very first game at the new SunTrust Park. He helped the Braves win 5–2 against the San Diego Padres. He finished the season with 11 wins and 13 losses.

More Opening Day Starts in 2018 and 2019

Teherán was named the Opening Day starting pitcher for the 2018 season. This made him the first Atlanta Braves pitcher to start five Opening Day games in a row! On May 3, he almost pitched a no-hitter against the New York Mets, going 6.2 innings without allowing a hit. He even hit his first career home run on August 5! For the season, he had 9 wins and 9 losses.

He started on Opening Day again in 2019, tying a franchise record for consecutive Opening Day starts. For the season, Teherán had 10 wins and 11 losses. After the season, his contract with the Braves ended, and he became a free agent.

Playing for Other Teams

Los Angeles Angels (2020)

In December 2019, Teherán signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He made his Angels debut on August 5, 2020. He finished the season with a 0-4 record in 10 games. After the season, he became a free agent again.

Detroit Tigers (2021)

On February 19, 2021, Teherán signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers. He won his Tigers debut on April 3, allowing only one run over five innings. However, he was placed on the injured list soon after with a shoulder injury. He was shut down for the rest of the season in September.

Independent Leagues (2022)

In 2022, Julio played for the Staten Island FerryHawks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is an independent league. He had a good record of 1 win and 1 loss with a 1.60 ERA in 6 starts. Later that year, he also played for the Toros de Tijuana and Sultanes de Monterrey in the Mexican League.

Milwaukee Brewers (2023)

After signing a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres in late 2022, Teherán eventually signed a major league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on May 23, 2023. He played in 14 games for Milwaukee, with 11 starts. He had a record of 3 wins and 5 losses. He became a free agent again in October 2023.

New York Mets (2024)

In February 2024, Teherán signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He later signed a one-year contract with the New York Mets on April 5, 2024. He made one start for the Mets before being released a few days later.

Chicago Cubs (2024)

On April 14, 2024, Teherán signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs. He played in 8 games for their Triple-A team, the Iowa Cubs. He became a free agent again on June 1.

Baltimore Orioles (2024)

Teherán signed another minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles on June 4, 2024. He pitched in 4 games for their Triple-A team, the Norfolk Tides. He opted out of his contract and became a free agent again on June 29.

Return to Mexican League (2024-2025)

On July 5, 2024, Teherán signed again with the Sultanes de Monterrey in the Mexican League. He had a record of 1 win and 1 loss in 3 starts. He was released by the Sultanes in March 2025.

On March 25, 2025, Teherán signed with the Toros de Tijuana for a second time. He played in 14 games for Tijuana, with 12 starts. He was released by the Toros on July 11, 2025.

Playing for His Country

Julio Teherán proudly plays for the Colombia national baseball team in international competitions. In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, he pitched very well against Canada. This helped Colombia get its first-ever victory in the World Baseball Classic!

He was also named to the team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but he did not play.

Teherán played for Colombia in the 2026 World Baseball Classic qualifiers in March 2025. He pitched six innings without giving up any runs against Brazil. He was named one of the top 10 players from the qualifiers by MLB.com. His great pitching helped Colombia qualify for the 2026 tournament without losing a game!

How Julio Pitches

Julio Teherán throws several different types of pitches:

Four-seam fastball: This pitch is very fast, usually around 92 miles per hour.
Two-seam fastball: This pitch is a bit slower, around 89 miles per hour.
Slider and Changeup: Both of these pitches are thrown at about 82 miles per hour.
Curveball: This pitch is slower, in the mid-70s, and has a big curve.
Screwball: He also has a screwball, which is very slow (around 65 mph), but he doesn't use it often.

Julio is also known for his very effective pickoff move. This is a special way a pitcher tries to get a runner out who is too far off a base. In 2014, he had 22 successful pickoff attempts, which was the most for any pitcher at that time!

Family Life

Julio Teherán's uncle, Miguel, used to work for the Braves as a scout, helping to find new players. Julio's second cousin, Sugar Ray Marimón, is also a baseball player. They grew up together in Cartagena and were even teammates on the Braves in 2015.

Julio married Yoselin Rincón in February 2016. Their first child was born in August of that same year.